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The process to merge the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar and the Nationalist Congress Party may now face a roadblock due to the death of Ajit Pawar, said Sharad Pawar .
NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed along with four others after a Learjet 45 aircraft they were travelling in crashed at Baramati, his hometown here, on January 28.
The process to merge the two factions was underway for the past four months under Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil, the NCP-SP chief told reporters in Baramati.
“All discussions were held at their level, but it now appears the process may hit a roadblock following the (plane) accident. The talks were progressing in a positive direction, but the accident adversely affected the process,” the former Union minister said.
Efforts were being made to establish cordial dialogue between the two factions, he added.
Asked whether the merger process would continue, Sharad Pawar said he did not know as he was not part of these discussions.
“It was Ajit’s wish to unite the two factions, and now it is our wish that his wish should be fulfilled,” Pawar said.
“We cannot bring Ajit back. We have lost him. Now we have to see how to face the situation,” the NCP-SP chief asserted.
Process to merge both NCP factions had begun
Sharad Pawar said a consensus had been reached about both factions working together, and the process had already begun.
“The decision on the merger was supposed to be announced on February 12. Ajit had given this date, but unfortunately, the accident took place,” he added.
During the recent civic polls, which the two factions contested in alliance, Ajit Pawar had also told select journalists that he intended to merge his party with the NCP-SP while his uncle Sharad Pawar (85) was in good health.
